Device for drying sweaters



9, 1955 L. A. SMITH 2,714,978

DEVICE FOR DRYING SWEATERS Filed Dec. 14, 1953 PI E 'I IN V EN TOR. 9 7 /0 Lynne 4. 5m/f/7 HTTOR/VE Y5 United States Patent DEVICE FOR DRYING SWEATERS Lynne A. Smith, Palo Alto, Calif. Application December 14, 1953, Serial No. 398,040

4 Claims. (Cl. 223-69) This invention relates to devices which are adapted to be used to support sweaters and similar items while the same are drying after having been washed.

More particularly this invention relates to a device which is adapted to support articles of wearing apparel and similar items which are not adapted to be hung out to dry and which, when they are suspended from a conventional clothes line, tend to stretch or otherwise become misshapen.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a device which is adapted to support an item which otherwise would tend to stretch or become misshapen if hung or suspended from a clothes line or hanger.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device of this kind which may be constructed of long wearing materials and which is portable.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device which is easily assembled and disassembled and which, when disassembled, may be stored in a very small or confined area.

It is a further object of this invention to provde a device of this kind whichmay be shipped through the mail.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hook or a pin means which is adapted to be used in a device of this character to retain the sweater or other item on the device and prevent its shrinking.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 represents a bottom view of a device incorporating my invention;

Figure 2 represents a top view of a device incorporating my invention with a sweater or other item positioned thereon;

Figure 3 represents a cross sectional detail taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 represents a cross sectional detail taken along the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 represents an end view of the device illustrated in Figure 2; and

Figure 6 represents a hook which is adapted to be used in conjunction with my device.

As illustrated particularly in Figures 1 and 2 I provide a surface 10 which may be formed of canvas or any other suitable material and which may be of any desired length and width.

The material forming the surface 10 may be folded along its side edges as illustrated in Figure 4 and is adapted to be stitched in each corner at 11 thereby forming, in effect, four corner pockets 12. The pockets 12 are adapted to receive the ends of the member 13 which may be formed of wood or any suitable material and which I have found to be satisfactory it formed from ordinary wooden dowels. The members 13 should be flexible and resilient so that they may be inserted in and removed from the pockets 12 as shown. The purpose of the members 13 is to stretch the surface 10 and hold the same in stretched condition.

2,714,978 Patented Aug. 9, 1955 The stitching 11 which forms the corner pockets 12 also serves to secure the ties or strips 14 in each corner. The purpose of the ties or strips 14 is as indicated in Figures 2 and 5; that is, to suspend the device from a clothes line or other member 16. When the device is utilized as indicated in Figures 2 and 5 it is apparent that the surface 10 will provide a horizontal surface upon which a sweater or other member 17 may be placed. The surface 10 supports the entire structure so that the same does not tend to pull or get out of shape. The fabric forming the surface 10 may be sufliciently open in its mesh to permit more or less free passage of air therethrough whereby both surfaces of the sweater tend to dry evenly.

It is well known that some yarns and materials tend to shrink during the drying process and, when these materials are adapted to be dried upon my device, I prevent the shrinking by the utilization of a plurality of hook members 18 which are formed generally as shown in Figure 6. Each hook 18 is generally S-shaped and is provided with an anchoring hook portion 19 which is adapted to penetrate the fabric forming the surface 10 and to engage the lower side of the fabric. The reverse or article engaging portion of the hook 21 is adapted to penetrate both members 17 and 10. Should the member 17 tend to shrink the pressure which it applies against the portion 21 will be transmitted to the portion 19 which will tend to resist the shrinking process and which will retain the garment 17 in pre-determined position.

It is apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a drying apparatus which is particularly useful in conjunction with the drying of sweaters and other similar items which are not adapted to be suspended from a line, for example, during the drying operation because it has been found that when so suspended, items of this kind tend to stretch and become misshapen.

Heretofore it has been thought that this difficulty may be overcome by placing the sweater on a towel and putting the same upon a table, bed or floor. This has been found to be unsatisfactory for the reason that the free circulation of air through the device is prevented and the lower surface tends to remain damp for a long period of time. The drying of the sweater therefore is prolonged for an unnecessary period. However with my device I have discovered that a sweater may be dried rapidly.

It is apparent that my device may be suspended either from a clothes line or from any other more or less horizontal member. It may be slung from two members or four members and its use is nearly universal.

In the event it is desired that the device may be disassembled and stored after use, the members 13 are removed from the pockets 12 and the ties 14 may be folded back onto the surface 10. The members 13 may be laid in parallel position lengthwise of the material forming the surface 10 and the entire assembly may be rolled up to form a simple package consisting of the members 13 and the ties 14 which are entirely surrounded by the material forrning the surface 10. This will form a convenient and easily handled and stored package.

When it is desired that the device he used, the roll previously described may simply be unrolled and the members 13 re-positioned in their respective pockets 12 and the ties 14 extended and tied to any suitable member such as a clothes line 16. A sweater may be positioned thereon and my hooks 18 may be used as indicated in Figure 6.

The ties 14 as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 5 may be eliminated, if desired, and hooks may be substituted therefor. It is contemplated that when the device is provided with books the same may be suspended one above the other. For example, let it be assumed that one of the devices manufactured in accordance with the disclosures of Figures 1, 2 and 5 is suspended from a clothes line. Other devices in which hooks have been substituted for ties may then be suspended immediately below the same by causing the hooks to engage the corners of the upper device. In this manner several devices may be suspended one below the other, thus saving room and permitting a number of devices to be dried at the same time. It is also obvious that when one of the devices of thecharacter described in Figures 1, 2 and 5 has been suspended from a clothes line anidentical device may be suspended immediately therebelow by its own ties 14 as, for example, by inserting theties over the surface of the upper device and around its ties 14. At any rate a combined device may be provided. a

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the device may be easily assembledand disassembled,easilyxstored and Shipped, and that thesame possesses substantial merit inasmuch as it accomplishes the prompt drying of sweaters and similar items .without the inconvenience which has been previously-attached to such an operation.

I claim:

1. In a drying device, a four cornered member formed of porous flexible material, pockets formed on each of said four corners, a pair of elongated flexible members having ends adapted to be inserted into said pockets, said elongate members having a length substantially equal to the distance between diagonally opposed corners, the ends of one of said elongate members beng inserted in the pockets of one pair of diagonally opposed corners, and the ends of the other of said elongate'members being inserted in the pockets of the other pair of diagonally opposed corners, said elongate members serving to place said four cornered member under tension to form a substantially flat surface, and means for supporting said four cornered member in a substantially horizontal plane to allow air to circulate freely about the same .to facilitate the drying of articles placed thereon.

2. In a drying device adapted to be supported from a'clothesline, a four cornered member formed of a porous flexible material, pockets formed in each of said four corners, a pair of elongate flexible members having ends adapted to be inserted into said pockets, said elongate members having a length substantially equal to the dis tance between diagonally opposed corners, the ends of one of said elongate members being inserted in the pockets of one pair of diagonally opposed corners, and the ends of the other of said elongate members being inserted in the pockets of the other pairof diagonally opposed corners, said elongate members serving to place said four cornered member under tension to form a substantially flat surface, a strap attached'to each of said corners for tying said device to said clothesline to thereby suspend the same in a substantially horizontal plane to allow air to circulate freely about the same to facilitate the drying of articles placed thereon.

3. A device as, in claim Ztogether with means attached to said four corneredmember, to prevent said articles from shrinking while they are being dried.

4. A device asin claim 3 wherein said lastnamed means comprises aplurality of S-shaped hook members, each .:of'said;hook-members having one end connected to said four cornered member and having the other end adapted to be pressed through the article being dried and the porous flexible material of the four cornered member.

, References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 552,229 Bidwell Dec. 31, 1895 2,160,337 McKee May 30, 1939 2,467,890 Harvey Apr. 19, 1949 2,591,551 Kaplan Apr. 1, 1952 

